Black powder storage?

[Salty_Possum]

Hi folks,

I'm new to the hobby, and before I buy some BP I was wondering how I should store it? My folks have a garage 20-30 yards from the house, but will the temperature change during the year affect the powder at all? I was wondering if I store it in the house, should I buy a fireproof safe? I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a safe big enough to store 7-10 1lb cans of 2f if I can help it. Appreciate the advice in advance.

 

[jamesthomas]

No, don't buy a safe, I have about 6 to 8lbs. I keep it in the bottom of my closet. Just find a place that's cool and dry and blackpowder will keep forever.

 

[Semisane]

I presently have about a dozen canisters of GOEX sitting on a shelf in the closet in my man cave.

 

[azmntman]

5 cans goex in bottom cabinet of gun safe in bedroom. My fireman buddies know if my house is on fire not to go upstairs!

 

[Dphar]

Putting blackpowder in a safe is a mistake unless you leave the door unlocked, otherwise it becomes a bomb. It needs a vent to prevent excess pressure build up. Even a "fire proof" safe will reach high temps in a long fire and paper money and such can be destroyed during the fire unless double protected by a second insulated container of some sort.
BP is a low order explosive or flammable solid unless tightly contained then it can get pretty nasty. For example, a powder company in my area did some testing of BP in which they fuzed a pound in a 25 pound case of plastic bottles and lit the fuse. It only ignited a few bottles in the case the rest were just scattered around. A guy I know bought the bottles with the smoke damaged labels. BP IS dangerous. But its not like an HE.
This is why powder plants used to be made with one weak wall or roof.

Dan

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You might want to check your state and county laws. In some jurisdictions, if you have a fire you are required to tell the Fire/Rescue folks that you are storing BP, and in some areas the protocol is for them to step back until it goes up..., even if that means watching the house become a total loss. There are also restrictions in may areas on how much you may store, which may vary from a single family home, to townhomes, to apartments/condos.

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

As stated, a dry location. Will last forever.
Normal safety precautions should always be observed. e.g. out of reach of children.

 

[azmntman]

and pyrolike teens and young adults (remember what we did??) :shocked2:

 

[azmntman]

Estes rockets and blackpowder were alotta fun but we did speak to the deputy about it.

 

[Billnpatti]

Just keep the cans tightly closed and stored in a place in which you would be comfortable. If you are comfortable, the powder will be comfortable. Forget the safe, you don't need it. My powder is stored in a cabinet in the garage. It would probably be better stored in the house but I don't have a good place in the house to put it. If you have a good place in your garage to store it, that will be just fine. No safe needed unless you have some local ordinance that requires it. If that is the case, it will be your decision how you handle that issue.

 

[Snakebite]

I concur with Bill. I store mine is .50 cal ammo cans in my garage. It doesn't get cold enough or hot enough to affect the powder. The GOEX cans fit just right.

 

[rafterob]

Estes rockets and blackpowder were alotta fun

My brother and his friend blew a 5' swath of shingles off the neighbor's garage that way. The rocket was a little top heavy from the black powder payload and swerved over and lodged in the shingles. I do recall police, serious looking parents and my Brother and friend re-roofing the guys garage. My brother lives in AZ also :hmm: I store mine in my shed, no climate control. Never had any problems from moisture. I just feel a tad more comfortable with it outside than in my house.

 

[Zonie]

I agree with those who say don't bother with a safe.

Black powder in the containers it's shipped in will be totally weather resistant so temperatures won't bother it unless it gets over 160-170 degrees F. At that temperature the salt peter can begin to break down.
This isn't dangerous but it can weaken the powder for shooting.

As for fires, in the shipping containers it will ignite with a giant WHOOF!, creating a lot of gas.
In a closed room it will probably blow the windows out but the pressures won't be great enough to cause a lot of harm to firefighters.

Those butane or propane cylinders are probably more dangerous to a firefighter. When they go off the container can become a flying missile.

Black powder in a stout, locked safe can create pressures that can cause some real harm to both buildings and firefighters if it ignites.
It's flash point is about 470 degrees F and some of those "fireproof" safes can get that hot inside during a long lasting fire.

 

[tom deinek]

I have never seen a homeowner's insurance policy that was not voidable for the storage of bp in a residence.

I have seen two instances in which an insurance company refused to pay for fire damage after reading the fire dept incident report that mentioned the uninvolved storage of bp on the premises.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I have never seen a homeowner's insurance policy that was not voidable for the storage of bp in a residence.

I have seen two instances in which an insurance company refused to pay for fire damage after reading the fire dept incident report that mentioned the uninvolved storage of bp on the premises.

... just sold all my firearms, powder, and hi-proof liquor.

Anyone know a good source for non-flammable knitting yarn? :rotf:

 

[Zonie]

The only thing that a insurance company could do that would surprise me is to pay a claim without trying to screw their client out of what is rightfully his and adding additional repercussions like raising the rate.

IMO, they are a necessary evil.

 

[Salty_Possum]

Thanks everyone, I'm a newbie so I appreciate the help. I'll probably keep it in my closet, it's not very small and the powder should be at a constant cool temperature. :thumbsup:

 

[MSW]

if all you're keeping is a few pounds, I think you'll be OK ... if I had a garage, I'd keep it out there, but I don't, so I don't ...

here in New England, we don't get hot enough to have any chemical degradation (85 degrees is a heat wave, here) ...

at any rate, I think you'll be OK

make good smoke!

 

[Ken Cormier]

Dang I have some in my gun cabinet and the garage . Know what do I do

 

[bpd303]

Same here mine is stored in three places, gun room, garage and storage shed. Never liked putting all my eggs in the same basket. :wink: